A nurse has been arrested after multiple babies suffered horrific fractures at a Virginia hospital that was forced to close its NICU over the mysterious injuries.
Erin Elizabeth Strotman, 26, has been charged with malicious wounding and felony child abuse over the incidents at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital in Richmond, police said Friday.
‘The Henrico County Police Division is utilizing all available resources to ensure a thorough investigation into this matter,’ police said in a statement.
‘This involves reviewing dozens of videos from inside the NICU. As previously mentioned, detectives are re-examining the 2023 and 2024 cases as part of this broader investigation.’
It comes after a couple spoke out after Virginia Child Services informed them that their newborn baby had been abused by an employee at the NICU when he suffered a fractured leg following his premature birth.
Authorities opened a probe into the inexplicable fractures after four babies were injured in the summer of 2023 and three more were hurt in November and December of this year,
The hospital said a similar incident involving four babies took place in the summer of 2023 and an internal investigation was been launched in collaboration with the ‘proper authorities and regulatory agencies.’
The case echoes that of British serial killer nurse Lucy Letby, although there have been no deaths reported.
Erin Elizabeth Ann Strotman, 26, has been arrested in connection to a string of accidents involving babies at a Virginia hospital
Henrico County Police says Ms Strotman faces charges of malicious wounding and felony child abuse in connection to an incident that occurred in November 2024.
Henrico Doctors’ Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), which takes care of critically ill newborns, has 40 treatment areas and the hospital delivers around 4,500 babies every year.
While hospital officials acknowledge ‘fractures occasionally happen,’ these fractures appeared to be cause for concern.
It has not been revealed where on the body the fractures occurred or if any complications or lasting damage resulted from the injuries.
Details on any of the infants is also not available.
Investigators went about reviewing video footage from inside the NICU to determine if there had been any staff misconduct or unreported accidents.
A statement on the hospital’s website said: ‘Out of an abundance of caution, we are not admitting any additional babies into our NICU at this time.
‘While fractures occasionally happen with pre-term babies since they lack full fetal bone development, we are actively working to determine how these fractures occurred.’
Preterm births – defined as a birth before 37 weeks gestation – have increased by 12 percent over the last decade, to 8.7 percent of all births in 2022.
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Rate of babies born prematurely has surged 12% since 2014 as doctors warn of 'infant health crisis'
And these babies are at a high risk of injury because they did not have enough time to form strong bones in the womb. These weaker bones are more prone to fracture.
Additionally, the use of certain medications to combat any complications from a preterm birth can contribute to low mineral content in the bones, making them more brittle and therefore more prone to fractures and breaks.
Fractures in preterm infants typically heal well when the babies are handled extremely gently and are given supplemental calcium, vitamin D and phosphorus, all of which help to fortify bones.
However, in rare cases – and depending on the type of fracture – further complications may occur.
A 2020 study found reports of fractures in premature infants are ‘inconsistent,’ ranging from two percent to 10 percent.
A fracture of the clavicle is the most common, according to a UK survey analyzing medical records from 2000 to 2016. This fracture is usually found in preterm babies born vaginally.
A hospital in Virginia has paused all admissions to its neonatal intensive care unit after a number of babies suffered ‘unexplainable’ fractures
In a statement posted on its website, Henrico Doctors’ Hospital said it is not admitting any additional babies to its NICU at this time ‘out of an abundance of caution’ (stock image)
Local news channel WRIC reported the news has sent shockwaves through the local community.
Jaron Jacobs, whose daughter was born at Henrico Doctors’ Hospital on Christmas Day, said: ‘Something like that is really intense… It’s kind of scary.
‘[Babies] are harmless, they’re innocent.
‘Regardless of anything that’s going on – injuries – babies are the last ones that should be involved in any type of mishaps or mistreatment.’
The hospital initiated an internal investigation and notified the parents and ‘proper authorities and regulatory agencies and worked collaboratively with them on their investigations.’
Additionally, the facility provided video footage to the authorities and healthcare professionals for them to review.
The statement added: ‘The process is thorough and time-consuming, but they are making steady progress. So far during our review of the videos, no misconduct or accidental actions have been found.’
The Henrico Doctors’ Hospital has also highlighted it has taken ‘immediate steps’ to enhance safety measures in its NICU.
This includes having all clinicians accompanied by an ‘observer’ to ‘help ensure all protocols are followed’ when they are carrying out newborn care.
Other protocols include in-person safety training for NICU care providers, performing additional exams of the babies in the unit, educating providers on interacting with minors and identifying and reporting suspected neglect or abuse, installing new security systems, implementing 24/7 camera recording of NICU rooms and live-streaming to allow parents to watch their babies.
Maria Reppas, who serves as the communications director for the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), told DailyMail.com the institution is working with the hospital on the ongoing investigation.
She said: 'The health and safety of those receiving care in this NICU has and will continue to be our top priority.
'VDH's Office of Licensure and Certification, in partnership with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has taken immediate action to identify potential concerns and are monitoring specific corrective actions.
'We are working closely with other state and local partners, including the Henrico Police Department and Virginia State Police.'
A spokesperson for the Henrico Police Department told this website that due to the sensitive medical nature of the investigation, additional details will be limited until the case is concluded.
Other agencies involved in the investigation include the Child Protective Services within Henrico's Department of Social Services and the Attorney General's Office.